Benefits of the Low GI Diet

It’s no secret that maintaining a healthy diet which gives your body the right nutrients and regular exercise can help you lose weight faster. In this age of ‘miracle cures’ and fad diets which promise to help you shed kilos within weeks; how do you decide which diet is actually good for you?

Unlike most other diets which require you to give up eating one or more food groups, the Low GI Diet is more of a lifestyle change than an actual diet itself. All food items are grouped into High GI foods (over 70), Medium GI foods (55-70) and Low GI foods (under 55) based on the manner in which different carbohydrates affect glucose levels in the blood. Focus is placed on eating food products with a Low GI because they cause the least fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels. So how does the Low GI Diet plan work?

Any food that we consume is slowly digested by the body which absorbs nutrients and enables the release of energy as well. The pancreas secretes insulin which is important for digestion and the amount of insulin produced depends on the type of food eaten. For instance, processed junk food which contains hardly any nutrients and is high on sugar causes the pancreas to release a high amount of insulin in the body. That is why eating refined food items and junk food is not just unhealthy but also leaves one feeling hungry in a short time. Frequent consumption of such foods with a high ranking on the Glycemic Index not only puts pressure on the pancreas but can also eventually lead to diabetes and other diseases.

The Low GI diet places importance on eating natural, unrefined and unprocessed food as they give the body essential nutrition and helps one stay full for longer as well. Such foods boost overall health in the body; enable better weight management and do not put unwanted strain on the pancreas either. By controlling the release of glucose in the blood, it helps ensure that a person has steady energy levels throughout the day too. The Low GI Diet plan is believed to minimise the risk of cancer, helps improve physical endurance, reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes and incidence of heart disease as well as lowers lipid levels in the blood.

The Low GI Diet can be followed by people from all age-groups and gives the body more benefits than any other diet. There are plenty of Low GI food recipes available which let you whip up a tasty meal with minimum effort and which do not compromise on both taste or nutrition.